The Drunken Kiss Explanation
by Thexa
Summary: Based on season 8 finale revelations. My take on what could have happened on the boat with Leonard, in the North Sea, between season 6 and season 7.
1. Chapter 1 :How To Have Fun Away From Her

**I really didn't like the last few minutes of season 8, nor for Shamy or for Lenny, so I want to try to fix things :p For now I mostly want to explore what could have happened during that damned trip to the North Sea...**

 **Here's my attempt, I hope you'll "like" it (I don't really know how this can be enjoyable because I never thought Leonard would kiss another girl while in a relationship with Penny, but, anyway, I'll try to make it less painful).**

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 **Chapter 1 : How To Have Fun Away From Her**

The first days on the boat were difficults for Leonard, he had to acclimate himself to the weather, the rhythms that were differents, and he was missing Penny so much. He used to call her every night, but he noticed how the other scientists were looking at him just before and after their little chat, and now, one month later, they started teasing him a few days ago. He remembered what Howard went through in space, and he didn't want to be mocked like his friend, he wanted to blend in. After all, he was going to be on that boat for another two months... So last night he wrote a long mail to Penny, explaining that he couldn't call her every night anymore, but that she could do it, of course, if she needed it. He felt a bit guilty, but he had no choice if he wanted to continue to work in a good environment, with respect from his co-workers. He couldn't be left aside, he was part of a team. Penny seemed to have understood and didn't sound sad or upset on the phone when she called him earlier.

" _Hey Leonard, come on, Jason is losing at strip poker, I think he might be naked in the next two minutes, you don't wanna miss that !"_ One of his wo-workers, Matt, was at the door of his bedroom, waiting for his answer.

" _Yeah, I'm coming in a minute"_ , answered Leonard with a shy smile. Up until then, he hadn't really taken part of all theses parties. He had watched, he had danced, he had sung, but he never had been drunk and he still hasn't played with them either... yet.

" _Don't tell me you're depressed again because of your "girfriend" !"_ Matt said, using airquotes on the word "girlfriend". _"There are some girls here you know ! Now come on !"_

Matt was already gone. Leonard got up, sighing. It was weird how everyone here acted like their life, friends, family, didn't matter. It was like they had different standards, just because they were away. Or maybe was it to forget ? In order to avoid depression ? Leonard took a deep breath before entering the room where the party was going on, he had to fit in. When he opened the door, Jason was in his underwear, the music was loud and there was a strong smell of smoke.

" _Heyyyyyyy, look who's here ! You got the authorization from the missus I hope ?!"_ laughed Matt loudly, joined by everyone after his "joke".

Leonard chose to ignore his comment and went straight to the bar. There, he started to take a beer, then two, then three, then four. He was in the middle of his last bottle when a girl came next to him. Of course he knew her, but they weren't working often together, and he had no idea of what he could say to her. She smiled at him and asked : _"You're drinking only beers ? You don't want something a little bit stronger ?"_

Leonard shrugged : _"Oh... No, thank you... I don't handle alcohol that well... Plus, I have a lot of allergies and stuff, so, you know..."_

The girl laughed : _"Who handles well alcohol ? And.. Besides... it could keep your mind off your girlfriend and you'll have more fun here !"_

Leonard thought he didn't want to stop thinking about Penny, that's not what he needed. But he didn't tell her that, or else the teasing was going to start again. Maybe it was the alcohol, but he had to ask : _"So... Kathleen, that's right ?"_ The girl nodded, and Leonard carried on : _"I'm wondering sometimes... We're smart... We're scientists... We're here to make researches, discoveries, studying theories... So... My point is... Why are we wasting our nights with these wild parties ?"_

Kathleen answered without even thinking : _"Do you see anything else we could do here ? Sure, we're scientists, but does that mean that we are not allowed to decompress and do stupid things ? Y'know... If you worry, your work is going to be less good. If you're happy, stress-free... Then you'll work better. Just free your mind !"_

With that, Kathleen left and went dancing. Leonard sat there, thinking. Yeah, she was right... He didn't have to be smart all day. He could still have fun, even if Penny wasn't there. Where was the harm ?

" _ICEBERG !"_ yelled Matt.

And for the first time, Leonard took a shot with everyone.

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 **Okay, phew, that was harder to write than I thought at the beginning... It still seems out of character for Leonard, but anyway... I wanted to set a context that could explain what will happen later... Let me know what you think ! (oh yeah, I know, Matt's a jerk !)**


	2. Chapter 2 : Was This Girl Into Him ?

**Like I said, it's not easy to write this story, I feel like writing about another Leonard, it's weird... But I definitely want to get back his honor by the end of it !**

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 **Chapter 2 : Was this girl into him ?**

Leonard felt more and more comfortable on that boat. He enjoyed a lot working there, with people that were listening to him and his ideas. Plus, now that he was taking part of every party, he was fully integrated to the group. He liked it more and more : here, there was no Sheldon to diminish him, he was respected, no one was making fun of him anymore. He felt important and that was nice.

There weren't parties every night anymore, but at least twice a week. Leonard learnt to appreciate these, when he was young he wasn't invited to parties, he didn't had much fun, so he was glad that this time, he was part of it. He hasn't been as drunk as some of his co-workers yet, he mostly liked to dance and to talk with the others. That night, he was talking with two of his colleagues, Kathleen and Amber, and they were exchanging about their lives, his in Los Angeles, theirs in Boston. One thing Leonard had learnt on that boat, is that alcohol and his seasickness weren't a good mix... and this night too, he felt he had suddenly the urge to go to the bathroom. He apologized himself to the women with a smile : _"Sorry ladies, I have to go to the bathroom..."_

Amber followed him with her eyes and said to her friend sitting next to her : _"He's so sweet ! I wish I had a boyfriend like him..."_

Kathleen agreed : _"I know what you mean. Once you get to know him, you see how cute he is... even with his beard !"_

Amber sighed _: "Too bad he's already taken... I hope his girlfriend knows how lucky she is to have him..."_

Kathleen didn't really know where her friend was going with this, but she felt she had to warn her : _"He told me she's an actress, and I've seen pictures, she's really hot."_

Amber didn't care how hot his girlfriend was, she didn't even really listen to what her friend had just said, she just wanted to know if she could have a chance : _"Are things going well between them ?"_

Kathleen shrugged his shoulders : _"How would I know ? But he's spending less time talking to her on the phone these days... Maybe that's a sign ?"_

Amber took a sip of his beer before asking : _"Do you think I should try something ?"_

Kathleen raised her eyebrows, surprised : _"Why would you do that ?"_

Amber justified herself, remembering all the good sides she had noticed in Leonard : _"Because I'm attracted to him ! He's sweet, smart, he knows how to listen... Who knows when I'll have the chance to meet another guy like him !"_

Kathleen was still skeptical, she didn't want her friend to be in trouble, or to break a couple : _"How drunk are you ?"_

Amber was a bit upset by this remark and understood that Kathleen didn't approve what she wanted to do : _"I'm not drunk ! I only drank two shots and two beers tonight. But don't worry, I'll just flirt... for now."_

A man came to ask Kathleen to dance with him, and Amber was alone at the table when Leonard came back from the bathroom. Amber smiled at him and immediately wondered how she could make him understand that she liked him. Watching at his arms when he opened another bottle of beer, she asked : _"Do you work out ?"_ That sounded lame to her ears, but it was too late. Leonard seemed genuinely surprised by this question. He stopped what he was doing, watched her, then turned his eyes to his own arms, his body, and laughed : _"Wh- Wh- What ?! Why this question ?"_ Now that Amber was on that road, she couldn't go backwards : _"Well, you know..."_ Leonard was fixing her, curious and puzzled. She was struggling for words, it was harder to do than she had expected, he wasn't playing along with her and that bothered her. After three or four seconds of a long silence, she finally said : _"Don't tell me no other girl has ever asked you that !"_

' _Shoot, that's not the right answer, he looks even more afraid now !'_ , she thought, seeing Leonard tilting his head on one side and frowning. He sat down and spoke up : _"I can tell you that no other girl, or man, or dog, or cat, has ever asked me that question !"_ Amber laughed, relieved that he wasn't mad at her : _"You're very funny..."_ Hearing that, Leonard wanted to tell her that, THAT, he has heard of, though he couldn't quite remember who and when, but that sounded familiar to his ears.

Leonard was a bit confused but carried on : _"Anyway, to answer to your question, no, I don't work out. I tried, I swear ! But... Well... The only things I lift here are these bottles !"_ Once again, Amber laughed. The party was about to end and she had to say something big to make him react, because he clearly didn't understand a thing about her flirting. She smiled at him in a – what she hoped was – seductive way and told him : _"Well, too bad then. Because you're very cute, and I'm sure you'd be so handsome if you worked out a little bit."_ Leonard was even more confused and didn't know what to say, he had a big _"WHAAAAAAATTTTT ?"_ in his head but he couldn't say it out loud, he was too puzzled to say anything. One last time, Amber smiled at him : _"Just saying..."_ and left without another explanation.

Later that night (or early morning...), in his bed, Leonard kept playing again and again this moment with Amber. What was that ? What happened ? And he remembered who told him he was very funny a few months ago. It was Alex. The same Alex that was flirting with him, but he had understood that only later. Was Amber flirting with him ? Nooooooooo... No way... But it was weird. What did she say ? Oh yeah, he was VERY funny and VERY cute. Was he ? With all this beard and the long hair ? He also remembered that Alex told him that maybe he didn't even know that he was getting hit on. So... Did Amber hit on him ? It seemed surreal to him. Two girls in less than a year ? Well played Hofstadter ! Of course, he was with Penny, the love of his life, they were in a great place, and – like with Alex – he wasn't going to do anything about it. But it felt good.

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 **I think I'm planning for 2 or 3 more chapters, so don't worry, Leonard will think more about Penny in the next one !**


	3. Chapter 3 : Rejecting Amber

**Story still not easy to write for me... Thanks for the small reviews, they help me to continue :)  
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 **Chapter 3 : Rejecting Amber**

It has been two days since that party, and Leonard hasn't seen Amber since that night. He had talked to Penny on the phone yesterday evening, but didn't mention what happened : he didn't want to worry Penny about nothing, and he remembered how upset she was when Alex hit on him. He wasn't there to reassure her this time, so he didn't want her to be concerned so far away from him. They would be seeing each other in a month or so, and he would tell her then, and they would laugh about it. That was the plan.

That night, another party was planned, and since he had been so sick last time, he decided he wouldn't drink that much this evening. When he arrived, Amber was already there, but Leonard went straight to another table : it's not that he wanted to avoid her, but he was unsure how he was supposed to behave with her. Should he be casual, like nothing happened ? But could he do that, really ? Was he capable of acting casual, knowing that she was hitting on him ? Sweating and panicking were more plausible... Plus, he was thinking about Penny, and she wouldn't be happy to see him seeking attention from Amber.

Leonard was joking with some of his male co-workers, but they were drinking a lot, and soon a real conversation with them wasn't possible anymore. They were funny, though, and Leonard was having fun. Sat at her table, Amber was watching him : she couldn't hear the conversation, but seeing him laughing like that was only making him more and more attractive to her eyes. She noticed he hasn't been drinking very much up until then, and wondered if – more sober – he would understand better her flirting.

Amber got up and went to Leonard's table : _"Hey guys... and Leonard"_ , she added only for him, with a big smile. _"I looooooovvvvvvvve how hot are these girls on that boat, don't you think ?"_ , said a man, before bursting into laughter, joined by all the others, except Leonard. He didn't even payed attention to what the guy has just said, he was busy noticing that Amber has only smiled for him, and made a difference between "the guys" and him. Yep, he was right the other night, she was definitely hitting on him, and he was glad this time he understood better. Definitely, not being drunk helped...

Amber sat down next to Leonard, without even asking his permission, and Leonard felt incomfortable, she was way too close to him, knowing what her intentions were. He offered her a soft smile but didn't engage the conversation. Amber felt there was a tension and tried to break the ice : _"Don't listen to him, he's totally hammered. I'm not that hot... Am I ?"_ Again, Leonard didn't know what his answer should be and only smiled, before looking away, like he was suddenly fascinated by what was happening on the dancefloor. Amber started to feel frustrated : why wasn't he talking to her ? She was being nice to him ! He should be flattered ! She thought about what she should do next and had an idea : since speaking wasn't working, she had to try touching...

She intentionally dropped the glass she had in her hand and tried to catch it : doing so, she faked falling down. She mentally smiled when Leonard had the exact reaction she hoped for : he catched her by the arm and gently helped her to sit down on her chair again. A little bit worried he asked : _"Are you okay ?"_ Again, that was everything Amber was hoping for. So predictable... A good guy. She grimaced : _"I don't know, my right ankle hurts a bit..."_ Leonard got up saying : _"I'm gonna get you some ice, I'll be right back."_

Waiting for him to come back, Amber heard a voice : _"Nice move"_. She looked around her and met the eyes of one of the drunken guys. Worried by what he could say in front of Leonard, she asked : _"What do you mean ?"_ The guy laughed : _"Come on, I think he's the only one who didn't see how you faked your fall... But don't worry, your secret is safe..."_ and he zipped his mouth to show her he won't speak. Leonard quickly came back with a pack of ice, and took Amber's ankle in his hands to put the ice. Amber giggled : _"That's cold... unlike your hands ! They're warm, I like that..."_ Leonard's heart skipped a bit : she was doing it again and it was starting to be annoying. Sure, it felt good and it was nice that a girl was attracted to him, but 1. he was in love with Penny, and 2. even if he didn't have Penny, he wouldn't be interested in Amber, she was being too obvious.

While he was thinking, Leonard felt Amber's left hand touching his. Instinctively, Leonard pulled off his hand and the ice he was holding fell down on the ground. He picked it, mumbling : _"I'm sorry"_ and handed the ice to Amber, not looking at her. Amber was now getting angry : _"What's wrong with you ?! I'm being nice and you act like a jerk !"_ Leonard didn't like being called a jerk, especially because he was really trying not being one to Penny, by rejecting Amber and her advances.

He inhaled heavily and started speaking _: "Look... It's not... Ah... It's not against you. You're a great woman. B-B-B-But... But... I have a girlfriend. I love her. I mean it, I really love her. I've been in love with her for such a long time... Now everything is fine between us and I would never do anything that could hurt her or break our relationship. Not only because I want to be faithful with her, but also and mainly because I don't want to. I don't want to be with someone else."_

Amber tried to control the anger and jealousy that were rising in her and acted like she was confused : _"Why are you telling me this ?"_. Leonard shrugged his shoulders : _"Well, because nothing will ever happen between us. No matter how hot you are... to answer a previous question from this evening."_ Amber kept a straight face, but she was fulminating inside : _"Why would something happen between us ?"_ Leonard felt a bit puzzled and frowned before answering, a bit unsure : _"Be-Be-Because... You're attracted to me, right ? I mean... All this... You were hitting on me... weren't you ?"_

Frustrated by his rejection, Amber yelled : _"You think I'm attracted to you ?! You think I was hitting on you ? Who do you think you are ? I was just being NICE ! NICE ! Chatty ! Friendly ! And just because some girl is talking to you, you think she's hitting on you ? Unbelievable ! Like I would be attracted to a guy like you !"_

With that, she stormed out of the room. Very confused, Leonard looked around him but no one seemed to have payed attention to that. No one, except a guy at his table. He was laughing uncontrollably and, between laughs, managed to articulate : _"Oh man... You're really crazy to reject a woman like her..."_

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 **I just wanted to set the scene here, to why what will inevitably happen later, will happen... And I wanted to remember that Leonard cared very much about Penny ! (something the writers seem to have forgotten in the S8 finale...)**


	4. Chapter 4 : What Was That ?

**I have to say again that that's – by far – the hardest story I've ever wrote. But I had to find an explanation to this kiss... I couldn't spend the hiatus with this mental picture of Leonard with someone else :p I hope you'll find the way Leonard and this girl kissed plausible and not as bad as it was suggested in the finale.**

 **Next time I'll definitely pick a happier storyline !**

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 **Chapter 4 : What Was That ?**

At first, Amber had wanted to get revenge against Leonard, but she didn't really know how to do it on that boat. Then, she had a talk with Kathleen and she calmed her down : she had to let it go. They led different lives, she lived in Boston, he lived near Los Angeles, and when the experiment would be over, they would never meet again. So it wasn't a big deal, after all. Where would this story have gone, anyway ? Kathleen had told her friend that she should apologize, but Amber wasn't ready for it, it would have been admitting that Leonard was right. So she just kept her distances from him for the next days, and then slowly started to talk to him again, when they were a lot of other colleagues around them.

Now, the experiment was almost over and there was a big party planned tonight to celebrate. Leonard was determined to enjoy this one more than the others, since it was probably the last one with everyone. Things were going wilder than usual : everyone was drinking much more than during the other parties, the lights were almost all turned off and it was darker, and there was a new drinking game. Each time a person emptied a bottle, that person should choose someone to kiss. Hence, there was a lot of kissings, and some of them were going further, with a whole make-out session.

It was now 4 AM and up until then Leonard had made a point of not emptying a bottle, but he was really drunk and didn't really know anymore what was going on around him. Amber came next to him, as drunk as he was, smoking. She laughed with no reason, and Leonard did the same, barely aware of what he was doing. Amber leant over Leonard and managed to say : _"Hey... Remember when you thought I was hitting on you ?"_ Leonard only understood half of the words and kept laughing foolishly. Amber carried on : _"Well... You were right..."_ Leonard had no idea what this girl was talking about, but hey, she said he was right, he must be good ! So he answered : _"Oh, cool !"_ , before drinking another gulp of his vodka.

Amber took a puff of her cigarette and all the smoke came right to Leonard's face. Alcohol and smoke on a boat, all of this was very bad for Leonard and he felt nauseous. He apologized quickly to Amber : _"I-I-I-... sorry... I-I-I-I... be back..."_. By chance, he found the door to the bathroom. Opening it, he saw two people heavily making out, but they didn't pay attention to him. After he threw up, Leonard went back in the room full of music : he wanted to dance but he was way too hammered and could barely stay up. He collapsed on a couch, he was happy – though he didn't really know why exactly – and was having a great time, but it occurred to him that tomorrow would hurt...

At the bar, Amber poured herself another glass of alcohol, not even knowing what was in the bottle. Having totally forgotten about the game, she emptied the bottle and put it down. She was about to drink but the people around her started to scream : _"KISS ! KISS ! KISS ! KISS ! KISS !"_ It was hurting her head a bit and she wanted to make it stop. Oh yeah, the game... She had to choose someone to kiss... Well, it was easy. She saw Leonard seated on a couch. He was staring vacantly into space, with a little smile on his face. People were still shouting : _"KISS ! KISS ! KISS ! KISS !"_ Amber came closer to Leonard : she has wanted to kiss him for so long, and now she had a perfect reason to do so. She crashed down next to him on the couch, but he didn't look at her, it's like he was lost in his own world. She tried to make him realize that someone was next to him : _"Hey you ! Hello ! HEY ! HEEEEEEEYYYYY !"_ Finally, Leonard turned his head and saw Amber : _"Oh, hey !"_ While people kept yelling : _"KISS ! KISS ! KISS ! KISS !"_ and watching her, Amber leant over Leonard and kissed him.

Leonard's mind was blank, totally blank. He heard the music, and he definitelty knew he was on a boat, but he had no idea what time it was or for how long he was there. Suddenly, he heard someone calling him. Well, he assumed it was him, because he didn't hear his name but someone kept saying : _"Hey"_ next to him. He turned his head and saw that girl. He knew her, sure, but couldn't remember her name at the moment. He became aware of all the people looking at her, and by extension at him, and heard them yelling the word "KISS". He wondered for a second what was going on, but before he could even think of something else, he felt her lips on his. Both their mouths were closed but he could smell the smoke and he still was a bit nauseous. It wasn't really enjoyable. Around them, people cheered.

The kiss lasted less than three seconds : it's the time it took to Leonard to understand that some woman's lips were on his, and that this woman wasn't Penny. His mind seemed to react so much slower than usual : _"What's happening now ?... Why are these people screaming ?... Is someone kissing me for real ?... Is it a dream ?... Is it reality ?... Open your eyes Leonard, for God's sake ! Oh My God ! Yes, a girl is kissing me ! She's not Penny ! Stop it, stop it, stop it NOW !"_

Leonard got up as fast as he could, it was as if he had just woken up. But it wasn't a dream, it was rather a nightmare : that girl had kissed him. There was nothing he could do about it now, he couldn't go backwards, and not being that drunk. Still standing up in front of the couch, in panick, he felt awful and wanted even more to throw up : not because he was drunk or sea-sick this time, but because he felt sick about what had just happened. He then realized – still slowly – that he couldn't stay up like that all night. Without an explanation, he left the party and went to his bed.

Amber didn't notice the panick in Leonard's eyes : she, too, was too drunk to realize what was happening. She only knew that she did what the others were yelling : she kissed someone. Yes, she noticed the kiss ended quite abruptly, but she didn't wondered why and stayed on the couch, feeling well. The other people didn't see what happened just after the kiss either : they didn't care, Amber played along and that's all what mattered to them. It was only a game. A stupid game.

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 **Okay, one more chapter (you know, the morning after and all the guilt...) and I'm done !**


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